1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing unit, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The "developing unit" serves to develop a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member and incorporates a developing member for developing the latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member with developer (toner), a developer containing member for containing the developer, a supply opening for supplying the developer contained in the developer containing member to the developing member, a seal member for peelably sealing the supply opening, a grip member to be gripped by an operator when the supply opening is unsealed, and a support portion for supporting the grip member.
The "process cartridge" incorporates therein an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, or incorporates therein, in addition to the developing means and the electrophotographic photosensitive member, at least one of a charge member for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a cleaning member for removing developer remaining on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, as a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The "electrophotographic image forming apparatus" is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming system. For example, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus may be an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer or an LED printer), an electrophotographic facsimile or an electrophotographic word processor.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotographic copying machine, laser beam printers, or the like, includes a photosensitive drum. Well-known processes such as charging, exposure and development are successively effected regarding the photosensitive drum to thereby form a toner image on the photosensitive drum and transfer the toner image onto a recording medium. Thereafter, residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum is removed by a cleaning device. In this way, the image is formed.
In such electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, recently, a process cartridge has been adopted to make the apparatus compact and simplify its maintenance. In the process cartridge, the photosensitive drum and the process means (such as a charge means, a developing means and a cleaning means) acting on the photosensitive drum are integrally incorporated as a cartridge unit, which can detachably be mounted to a body of the image forming apparatus by an operator himself.
In conventional developing units or process cartridges, an opening portion of a toner container containing toner (developer) is sealed by a toner sealing seal member to block a path between the toner container and a developing chamber. Before the process cartridge is used, the operator grips a grip to which one end of the seal member is secured and which is integrally formed with the toner container and separates the grip from the toner container by repeating several or several tens of reciprocal bendings of the grip around a weakened line between the grip and the toner container. Thereafter, the toner sealing seal member is unsealed from the opening portion by pulling the seal member by hand.